This code will hang at count = 10 until something is read from the command prompt. How do I avoid this block?

That isn't what happens running your code on my system. I waited until the count reached 14 the typed 'x' 3 times and ^C once:

c:\test>junk85
test, count:0
test, count:1
test, count:2
test, count:3
test, count:4
test, count:5
test, count:6
test, count:7
test, count:8
test, count:9
test, count:10
test, count:11
@test, count:12
@test, count:13
test, count:14
                x->120
@test, count:15
                x->120
test, count:16
                x->120
@test, count:17
Terminating on signal SIGINT(2)
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Hard to advise on how to avoid something that doesn't happen?